MORRISTOWN, N.J. (Morris County) — The Morristown Police Department is warning residents about a phone scam in which individuals impersonate bank representatives and falsely claim suspicious activity has been detected on a customer’s account.
According to police, scammers may instruct victims to withdraw large sums of cash from their bank accounts and turn the money over to a courier or another person.
Police emphasized that legitimate banks will never ask customers to withdraw cash and hand it over to a courier, stranger or investigator. Banks and law enforcement agencies also will not ask individuals to participate in a secret “sting operation.”
Residents are being urged to never share banking passwords, personal identification numbers, verification codes or account information with unsolicited callers.
Police also warned that scammers can manipulate caller ID information to make incoming calls appear to originate from legitimate banks or financial institutions.
Anyone who receives a suspicious call should hang up and contact their bank directly using the telephone number printed on the back of their bank card, rather than relying on a number provided by the caller.
Authorities said any request to withdraw cash or transfer money to another person should be considered a major warning sign of potential fraud.
Residents who believe they have been targeted by the scam are urged to contact their bank and local police immediately.
